


Before

by broadway_hufflepuff



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Recreational Drug Use, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It's all canon, JJ (Outer Banks) Deserves Better, JJ Needs a New Family, Pogues for life, Poor John B. Routledge, Pope is a good friend, Pope is trying, Pope loves Kiara, Post-Season/Series 01, Sad, Ward Cameron is the Worst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broadway_hufflepuff/pseuds/broadway_hufflepuff
Summary: Out of all the things that could go wrong, Pope believes losing his scholarship is the worst outcome.That’s before John B finds the compass. Before everything goes to shit.
Relationships: JJ & Kiara & Pope & John B. Routledge, JJ & Pope (Outer Banks), Kiara/Pope (Outer Banks), Pope & John B. Routledge
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	Before

**Author's Note:**

> So I just binge watched ALL of Outer Banks and now I'm obsessed.  
> And I can't help but notice that all the characters deserve better.  
> I'm sure I'll be writing more from this show eventually (after all, I've got a LOT of time on my hands.)
> 
> TW: drug use (it's canon but still,) mentioned canon child abuse but nothing graphic
> 
> Characters are not mine.
> 
> Please don't repost!
> 
> Thank youuuu, stay safe <3

Out of all the things that could go wrong, Pope believes losing his scholarship is the worst outcome. 

That’s before John B finds the compass. Before everything goes to shit.

Before he and JJ sink Topper’s boat, and the thing that sinks quicker is the guilt in his gut when JJ takes the fall.

Before he sees JJ, bruises littering his stomach, drunk off his ass, crying in a hot tub with money that should have been used for his restitution. 

Before John B gets framed for  _ murder,  _ when the kid stops pushing his sunstreaked curls back out of his eyes and has to actually  _ run.  _

And despite all of these things, when JJ offers him the weed, (even though he knows JJ’s trying to help in the only way he knows how) Pope knows he shouldn’t take it. But he’s anxious, and upset, and so, so  _ done,  _ and it’s probably fine. He’s probably fine.

Sidenote: he’s not. 

He’s  _ not  _ fine, and he knows this because he’s hurting people, and his brain is all fuzzy, and he’s wondering  _ why the hell has no one stopped JJ from doing this shit?  _

And Pope’s  _ not _ in his right mind, that night, when he says “I love you, Kie.” 

He’s not  _ thinking  _ when he rambles on, not being rational, not for one second doubting that  _ it was a bad idea, telling Kiara was a bad idea. _

Despite all the shit they’ve gone through, despite all the pain he’s felt,  _ that’s  _ what really hurts. Telling someone you’re in love with them and not having them say it back. 

And just when he’s starting to sober up, just when Pope thinks they got away with it, Sarah and John B escaped, it all falls apart again. Like the ship sinking. Again, and again, and again. Suddenly, when the sheriff is pulling them aside and saying “We lost them,” and Kiara’s sobbing into her parents’ arms and JJ’s looking lost and hurt, all alone- that’s when the scholarship seems so petty, so small. 

Because it’s true, when they said “Pogues for life.”

Even when one is dead.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments/kudos are appreciated! <3


End file.
